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How to look after
Ancistrus temmincki
Temmincks bristlenose, Bristlenose catfish
(Valenciennes, 1840)

Ancistrus temmincki, or Temmincks bristlenose - males sport a bristly nose
more images here

(Other members of the genus Ancistrus)

ADULT SIZE: 5 cm

WATER CONDITIONS: Not critical

TEMPERATURE RANGE: 24-28 C

FOOD: Feed Ancistrus temmincki live and dried foods

DISTRIBUTION: This species comes from French Guiana, Surinam

SEXUAL DIFFERENCES: Both males and females show some facial bristling, but this is certainly more pronounced in male fish.

AQUARIUM CARE: A small catfish inhabiting many waters in South America. Tanks should be decorated as such with plants and wood. They will clean up algae in the tank but it is important to also include a vegetable component in the diet, such as cucumber, blanched peas etc. Males have distict bristling on the nose - this is far less pronounced in the female

These small catfish make great companions to many other species; they are peaceful, don't grow too large and tolerant a wide range of conditions. An ideal community tank species. Make sure to include some bogwood under which to hide, and rasp upon also.

BREEDING: Breeding is not difficult with the right tank set-up. A well-fed pair will often breed in a community tank. Males select a spawning site, on bogwood or in an upturned flower pot, where eggs will be laid. He will continue to guard/fan the eggs until hatching, and for the first week or so afterwards.

Have you bred Ancistrus temmincki? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?, or examine existing Ancistrus temmincki breeding reports

Ancistrus temmincki
Temmincks bristlenose, Bristlenose catfish

Ancistrus temmincki, or Temmincks bristlenose - males sport a bristly nose

This young males bristles will get longer than this

Like most catfish, Ancistrus temmincki feeds by rasping a substrate: bogwood stone, or just the aquarium glass

Ancistrus temmincki
Temmincks bristlenose, Bristlenose catfish
breeding notes

BREEDING: Breeding is not difficult with the right tank set-up. A well-fed pair will often breed in a community tank. Males select a spawning site, on bogwood or in an upturned flower pot, where eggs will be laid. He will continue to guard/fan the eggs until hatching, and for the first week or so afterwards.

Have you bred Ancistrus temmincki? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?

This page summarises breeding reports provided by visitors to this site, along with some statistical analysis. Please feel free to contribute - whatever your experience! 2 breeders have filled in breeding reports, a summary of the results are shown in the graphs below. You can read the full reports here. To add details of your experiences of Ancistrus temmincki, why not fill in a Breeding and maintenance Report.
Would Ancistrus temmincki be a good addition to a community tank? Never Doubtful, only with VERY calm fish Only with species of similar size Yes, a good community fish	How would you describe the disposition of Ancistrus temmincki? Very timid Slightly timid Neutral Somewhat aggresive on occasions Very aggressive
In which water conditions do you keep these fish? Very soft and acidic Moderately soft and acidic Neutral Moderately hard and alkaline Very hard and alkaline	At what average temperature? 10-15°C 16-19°C 20-23°C 24-27°C 28°C+
	How would you describe sex ratios when breeding Ancistrus temmincki? If you are unsure please leave this question unanswered. Almost all males Somewhat male heavy Roughly equal Somewhat female heavy Almost all females
In general, how difficult is Ancistrus temmincki to keep and breed? Very easy Easy Average Difficult Very difficult	How sucessful have you been at breeding Ancistrus temmincki? Very unsucessful Fairly unsucessful Average Fairly sucessful Very sucessful

Remember, each record represents only one persons experience; if you had different results, or used different methods, please share your experiences